USB to Serial adptor?

[+Woodstramp]

I have an old Etrex that I like to load with a few maps from time to time. I used to use an old PC to do this. Originally I made a serial cord using a Pfrank connector and an old mouse cable that was connected to the old PC. Would like to use our newer laptop.

 

Was thinking that I'd have to buy one of those USB to Serial adaptors, but I noticed the laptop has a 9 pin deal on the side. Only problem is that the serial cord I made and this port are both the same gender. Do I need a USB/serial adaptor or just a gender adaptor? I would just buy a USB adaptor, but I heard these can be a problem sometime. Thanks.

[+eusty]

Have a hunt of ebay, there are quite a few USB/serial adapters which will convert from a type A USB to the Garmin socket on the etrex. Or if you use your cable then a standard USB-serial adapter will do.

 

Those based on the Prolific chipset work well with the etrex

 

[+coggins]

Was thinking that I'd have to buy one of those USB to Serial adaptors, but I noticed the laptop has a 9 pin deal on the side. Only problem is that the serial cord I made and this port are both the same gender.

Give your new laptop another look, if the gender is different, it might be a HD15 pin video port.

[+PeoriaBill]

Hello,

Targus makes an adapter ACP45US1 Win7 compatible adapter to connect serial devices. I have some older devices that need a serial connector and this fits the bill. I won't go into it here, but you can get the details online.

[+Woodstramp]

Eusty,

 

To keep cost down, I was hoping to use my old homemade cable. (the Etrex I'm dealing with aint worth much.) It's actually a backup for my 60csx.

 

Coggins,

 

You may be right about that being a video port. I'm no computer expert. It looks exactly like the end of my Etrex cable. Both males with 9 pins.

 

Peoria Bill,

 

I'll investigate that thing.

[+coggins]

A 9 pin male should be a serial port, sounds like you have the wrong gender connector on your cable, mine is female

Edited June 21, 2012 by coggins

[tr_s]

Nine pin FEMALE on the computer side??? Sounds weird, are you sure it isn't just the D-SUB monitor port almost all laptops have? I've never seen a female port on the computer terminal, and never seen an RS232 serial port on any laptop manufactured during the last ten years.

 

My guess is that you need to get an USB dongle. Some of these do not follow spec (only use unipolar voltage levels and they should use bipolar), but it usually isn't a problem with equipment younger than 20 years.

[+coggins]

Nine pin FEMALE on the computer side??? Sounds weird, are you sure it isn't just the D-SUB monitor port almost all laptops have? I've never seen a female port on the computer terminal, and never seen an RS232 serial port on any laptop manufactured during the last ten years.

Where are you getting that from? On the cable of course. BTW, my 1 year old Panasonic Toughbook has a RS-232 serial port on it, you might want to broaden your horizons a bit.

[7rxc]

I'd say he should read his computer manual and ID the port that way for sure. A lot of 'middle' age computers used a nine pin Serial connector for the Mouse. It would work well for comm as well when set up correctly. There were other things but I forget the genders, I seem to remember EGA video was 9 as well. [i just went down the hall to my junk room. Found both 9 and 15 pin female EGA connectors on some monitor cards...] Again READ THE BOOK on your computer, sometimes just look at the computer, some actually have labels by the port.

 

As for gender... two choices, change the cable end to match OR look for a 'gender bender', in this case female9/female9.

Back in the day, there was not so much standardization on serial ports... 25 pin or 9 pin male or female, so it was down to make sure the port was serial not parallel (remember those?) then the gender and then make/match your cables to work.

 

As for the USB/Serial adapters... I've been considering on for our SAR GPS units. More for track downloads. I keep seeing advice to avoid the Prolific based ones as they have a hit or miss history. Some work fine and some just don't like GPS or some thing. There is another type that seems to be reliable regardless. The one chap said 'if it costs 10 bucks you likely don't want it'

 

I think that is sound advice if you need it to work. There are lots of threads about those.

 

Doug 7rxc

Edited June 21, 2012 by 7rxc

[+Woodstramp]

Don't have the manual, but I looked at the 9 pin connector on the side of the laptop and I think it is a monitor output. It is right next to a HDMI output and the 9 pin port has a tiny symbol beside it. The symbol looks like a small rectangle inside another rectangle.

[kiwi_outdoors]

I have an old Etrex that I like to load with a few maps from time to time. I used to use an old PC to do this. Originally I made a serial cord using a Pfrank connector and an old mouse cable that was connected to the old PC. Would like to use our newer laptop.

 

Was thinking that I'd have to buy one of those USB to Serial adaptors, but I noticed the laptop has a 9 pin deal on the side. Only problem is that the serial cord I made and this port are both the same gender. Do I need a USB/serial adaptor or just a gender adaptor? I would just buy a USB adaptor, but I heard these can be a problem sometime. Thanks.

 

I used a serial-to-USB adaptor on my old etrex with my then-new ACER Aspire netbook. Worked fine BUT it seemd to come up with a different COM Port number almost every time which was annoying.

 

Now I have an eTrex20 - much better.

[tr_s]

Nine pin FEMALE on the computer side??? Sounds weird, are you sure it isn't just the D-SUB monitor port almost all laptops have? I've never seen a female port on the computer terminal, and never seen an RS232 serial port on any laptop manufactured during the last ten years.

Where are you getting that from? On the cable of course. BTW, my 1 year old Panasonic Toughbook has a RS-232 serial port on it, you might want to broaden your horizons a bit.

 

I supposed his port on the PC was female because a normal interface cable was of the wrong gender.

 

Amazing to hear about that toughbook, yes I need to widen my horizons. I suppose the toughbooks are intended for use in industrial/marine environments or whatever. Since a lot of older and industrial equipment requires the use of serial ports I guess it's wise to have that built into the machine.

[7rxc]

Don't have the manual, but I looked at the 9 pin connector on the side of the laptop and I think it is a monitor output. It is right next to a HDMI output and the 9 pin port has a tiny symbol beside it. The symbol looks like a small rectangle inside another rectangle.

Have you Googled for the computer info or manual? What make/model is it anyway?

 

Most major brands you can find the docs online somewhere, or someone has / had one at some point.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+Hynr]

Don't have the manual, but I looked at the 9 pin connector on the side of the laptop and I think it is a monitor output. It is right next to a HDMI output and the 9 pin port has a tiny symbol beside it. The symbol looks like a small rectangle inside another rectangle.

If this computer has an HDMI connector then this is not an old clunker with an EGA port. 9-pin male (DB9) is serial. The Garmin cable for the serial eTrex has a female counterpart with 9 holes. If your old cable worked before, then a gender-changer is all you need. If you are going to buy one, then note that you might pay less for the USB-to-serial converter as that is a more popular item.

[+Woodstramp]

I found an online manual. Here is a cut/paste of interfaces:

 

------------

 

Interfaces/Ports

 

HDMI..............Yes

 

Total Number of USB Ports........3

 

Number of USB 2.0 Ports...........3

 

VGA............Yes

 

Network (RJ-45)............Yes

--------------------------

 

BTW, I have a freind at work who is more computer savvy than me. I showed him the homemade cord I had. He gave me a conglomeration of adaptors to change my "9 pin/Pfranc/Garmin" cord (the homeade cord that works on my old PC) to a USB.

 

I hooked it all up to one of the laptop's USB ports. Turned on the Etrex (in Garmin transfer mode, like usual), cut some map areas in Mapsource and attempted tranfer. Mapsource never could "find device" like it could with the PC.

 

BTW, the new laptop works very well when transfering data with the USB connected to my 60csx.

 

This laptop is a Windows 7 and 64bit, if that helps.

 

I'm no computer expert, but the old setup with the homemade cable was basically direct wiring (only three conductors if I recall) from the GPS to the computer. I'm thinking that the interlink (via USB) is more involved than just three wires.

[7rxc]

I found an online manual. Here is a cut/paste of interfaces:

 

------------

 

Interfaces/Ports

 

HDMI..............Yes

 

Total Number of USB Ports........3

 

Number of USB 2.0 Ports...........3

 

VGA............Yes

 

Network (RJ-45)............Yes

--------------------------

 

BTW, I have a freind at work who is more computer savvy than me. I showed him the homemade cord I had. He gave me a conglomeration of adaptors to change my "9 pin/Pfranc/Garmin" cord (the homeade cord that works on my old PC) to a USB.

 

I hooked it all up to one of the laptop's USB ports. Turned on the Etrex (in Garmin transfer mode, like usual), cut some map areas in Mapsource and attempted tranfer. Mapsource never could "find device" like it could with the PC.

 

BTW, the new laptop works very well when transfering data with the USB connected to my 60csx.

 

This laptop is a Windows 7 and 64bit, if that helps.

 

I'm no computer expert, but the old setup with the homemade cable was basically direct wiring (only three conductors if I recall) from the GPS to the computer. I'm thinking that the interlink (via USB) is more involved than just three wires.

 

You can't just change the wires for serial to USB... a serial will just stay serial. There are voltage differences etc.

Any connector (like the gender bender) will just change the connector gender of connection. A system information search might tell if you have an active serial port. Not sure if you are into the system setup (cmos) settings. I bet a local shop could tell you and not charge much if anything... as long as they don't have to do more than look. Serial has some pin configurations depending on which end is which to put it simply. Two wires change places to allow for exhange of information. Some connectors are straight through and stay the same. There are fancy names, but people get confused... and it's been a long time for me too.

 

An interconnecting cable say computer to outside device like a modem would use the switch pins. If I remember correctly, but don't count on that. Remember that is for serial (RS232) not USB.

 

Anyway, best idea find someone who knows, locally, and in person. Or go the USB to serial converter route.

 

Doug 7rxc

[John E Cache]

I recently bought a ca-42 USB to serial cable on EBay for $10. It came with a USB driver CD. You can get ca-42 cables for $3. I would cut the 9 pin dsub connector off your Etrex cable and solder the ca-42 tx, rx and ground wires to the tx, rx and ground wires on the Etrex cable.

[+Hynr]

Woodstramp,

 

I don't understand how the manual does not list a DB9 connector if you are seeing one on your computer. Sounds like you either have the wrong manual or are not describing the connector to us correctly. Is it possible that the connector that is similar to the one on your homemade cable has 3 rows of 5 holes - (i.e. not 9 but 15) and looks like this:

as opposed to a DB9 serial connector as found on the end of the Garmin cable for the eTrex, which looks like this:

 

If this is the case then it is obvious that you have no physical port on your new computer that you can attach your old cable to. You need to buy a USB-serial adapter. It would not be surprising if you fried the communication circuits in your GPSr by sending the voltages of a VGA port to it; so do be sure to verify with your old computer that the eTrex is still healthy before investing in anything new for it.

[+Woodstramp]

Hynr,

 

The port I've been talking about looks just like the second pic you posted. Nine pins.

 

I've been looking at USB/serial adapters online.

[7rxc]

Hynr,

 

The port I've been talking about looks just like the second pic you posted. Nine pins.

 

I've been looking at USB/serial adapters online.

 

 

Back in post #10 you mentioned a symbol (rectangle in rectangle). Does it match the one shown above the 15 pin one shown by Hynr?

If it does, time for the USB/Serial adapter device or cable.

 

Doug 7rxc

Edited June 26, 2012 by 7rxc